When Joseph Muscat took over the leadership of the Labour Party from Alfred Sant some years ago, hopes were high that the party would recreate itself with new and more up-to-date ideas than those under the previous leadership.

The party’s former opposition to join the EU, for example, is still there and one certainly can acknowledge the benefits Malta has gained from it, and I am not talking about the Labour MEPs.

With Joseph Muscat, one would have expected a clear social and economic programme, vision and, more important, leadership.

Unfortunately, the exact opposite has happened.

The party has withstood every important change to our society: the electoral system has remained unchanged and the law on party financing is nowhere to be seen. No initiatives are taken to change these important issues. The same applies to civil liberties: the attitude of PL towards the introduction of divorce was farcical (“free vote”), the position on gay rights is very unclear, the solution for the influx of immigrants very populist.

No real actions are taken in Parliament for the disastrous introduction of a new public transport system; no voice has been raised against the extra charge in bus fares to foreigners. One can only admire the silence of this progressive party in the face of the financial storm of these days, the future financing of the social services, education. No solutions are shown for the diction of the deficit, the future financing of the health system and the attraction of investments to Malta.

There is no leadership within the PL. The country needs a new leadership, a vision, and a change of the morose regime, political pluralism.

The country needs a Green change. Alternattiva Demokratika is the only party able to bring valuable changes to this country, socially, economically and environmentally.

Henrik Piski

QORMI